Hospital Coder
Salary

Women make up the vast majority of Hospital Coders in the United States. The average pay in this industry is approximately $19.40 per hour. Pay ranges from $13.87 per hour on the low end to $27.66 on the high end. Job satisfaction for Hospital Coders is extremely high. Most enjoy medical while the larger part get dental coverage. Vision coverage is also available to the greater part. The information for this rundown comes from respondents who completed PayScale's salary questionnaire.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

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Job Description for Hospital Coder

A medical coder’s job is to bill insurance companies and track the submitted claims. Medical coders are responsible for reviewing the medical records of patients and then assigning codes to their diagnoses and procedures so that the relevant insurance company, other third-party payers, or the patient can be billed for those claims. A hospital coder is a medical coder specific to a hospital, as opposed to a doctor's office or other medical facility.

A hospital coder’s job is important, as they help doctors understand which treatment will work best for their patients based on prior therapies. They also help by looking through patient files to find preexisting conditions. As patients receive care, the coder keeps track of their medical records and documents the improvement or deterioration of the relevant condition. When the patients are ready to go home, the coder will process the discharge paperwork. It is also the job of the coder to make sure that the provider meets recordkeeping guidelines. They need to keep medical histories private while making sure that patient records contain the information and treatment care details that the law requires. In order to do that, they need to know the laws concerning the release of that information as well.

The minimum requirements for this position are a high school diploma or equivalent, good math skills, bookkeeping knowledge, and experience with customer relationship management programs that are used in the health care industry. You will also need to have knowledge of billing codes and good communication skills. A college degree is normally not necessary, but a certificate from a credited school is always an added bonus.

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This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Survey results show that Hospital Coders typically report just a few professional skills. Most notably, facility with Surgical coding and Medical Coding are correlated to pay that is significantly above average, leading to increases of 37 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

Pay by Experience Level for Hospital Coder

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For many Hospital Coders, extensive experience does not lead to significantly more money. The average inexperienced worker's salary is approximately $38K, and people with five to 10 years of experience bring in more at around $42K on average. On average, Hospital Coders make $52K following one to two decades on the job. Veterans who have surpassed the 20-year mark may make no more than those who are navigating the mid-career stage.